"No sooner had the powder cloud appeared than shrapnel began to burst overhead and in a moment all was confusion and uproar. But it didn't take the regiments long to get into fighting trim and race through the city to the scene of operations, which was on the other side of the small canal, in the suburbs. "Here our outposts were engaging the enemy fiercely. The outposts lost very heavily, most of the damage being done by shells. The rifle fire was ineffective, although at times the lines of contenders were not more than 300 yards apart. "The first reinforcements to arrive were posted in a glass factory, the walls of which were loop-holed, and we doggedly held that position until nightfall, when we fixed bayonets and lay in wait in case the enemy made an attempt to rush the position in the darkness. DESTROY BRIDGES BEHIND THEM "About midnight orders came to retire over the canal and two companies were left behind to keep the enemy in check temporarily. After the main body had crossed the bridge was blown up, leaving the two outpost companies to get across as best they could by boats or swimming. Most of them managed to reach the main body again. "The main body retired from the town and fell back through open country, being kept moving all night. When daylight arrived it was apparent from higher ground that Mons had been practically blown away by the German artillery. "Throughout the morning we continued to fight a rearguard action, but the steady march in retreat did not stop until 6 o'clock in the evening, when the British found themselves well out of range of the German artillery in a quiet valley. "Here all the troops were ordered to rest and eat. As they had been without food since the previous morning's breakfast it was rather amusing to see the soldiers going into the turnip fields and eating turnips as though they were apples. "At 8 o'clock all lights were extinguished, the soldiers were ordered to make no noise and the pickets pushed a long distance backward. Long before dawn the troops were hastily started again and continued the retirement. "By noon the enemy was again heard from and a large detachment was assigned the task of fighting to protect our rear. WATCH DUEL IN AIR "During the afternoon both the German and British armies watched a duel in the air between French and German aeroplanes. The Frenchman was wonderfully clever, and succeeded in maneuvering himself to the upper position, which he gained after fifteen minutes of reckless effort. Then the Frenchman began blazing away at the German with a revolver. "Finally he hit him, and the wounded German attempted to glide down into his own lines. The glide, however, ended in the British lines near my detachment, the West Kent Infantry. We found the aviator dead when we reached the machine. We buried him and burned the aeroplane.